i think the vice presidential debate is going to be important because joe biden basically debated sarah palin to a draw. if they haven't we'd still be talking about sarah palin's poor debate performance. she was great. this is important because the democratic party has done great through clinton and obama, their last two presidents, of talking about theryan is going to be the one to save entitlements into the future. it's going to be fascinating. republicans are not accustomed to having the 42-year-old talking about generational change in politics. >> we're out of time. we'll see everybody tomorrow morning. cnn newsroom with carol costello starts now. >> immoral, illegal and making the united states hate it around the world. a group of american activists are spreading that around in pakistan. live from islamabad. a new government report shows two companies that employ thousands of americans may actually pose a security concern for the united states.

nascar drivers are questioning their safety after a 20 car pile-up at one of nascar's most famous tracks. why one driver calls it bloodthirsty. the obama campaign launching a counteroffensive to a speech that hasn't happened yet. >> reckless. immaturish. that's what news media and fellow republicans called mitt romney's gaffe-filled july tour of england, israel and poland. >> that's what you call a prebuttal. prebuttal. "newsroom" starts now. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com good morning to you. happy monday. i'm carol costello. that's where we begin on the campaign trail. president obama is raising cash. mitt romney is raising concerns. this morning he's ripping the administration's handling of the middle east and its many recent flash points like the fatal terrorist attack on the u.s. consulate in libya. romney is trying to polish his own spotty record on foreign affairs and he faces some public

doubts. according to to a cnn/orc poll 52% of americans believe obama is better at handling foreign affairs. 45% say romney. cnn national political correspondent jim acosta is at the virginia military institute where romney will speak in just a little over two hours. good morning, jim. >> reporter: good morning, carol. that's right. after what was widely perceived as a big victory for mitt romney on the issue of domestic policies at that first presidential debate, he's going to be going after the president on foreign policy at that speech at the virginia military institute here in lexington later on this morning. and the campaign did release some excerpts from the speech that we could look at to sort of see where he might be going with this address later on this morning. a few things to point out, carol. he's going to be going after the president as you mentioned just a few moments ago on those diplomatic attacks in benghazi, libya. he's going to be talking about that attack as the work of al qaeda, saying that that was likely the work of the same forces that attacked the united

states on september 11th. now, a few other things he's going to be talking about. he's going to be calling for new sanctions, stronger sanctions against the government in iran to prevent that country from developing nuclear weapons. he's also going to be talking about arming the syrian rebels. lastly, carol, as part of his remarks that were releasted by the campaign, interesting to note that he is also going to be calling for a prosperous state of palestine to stand side by side with the state of israel. that's a very interesting development. as you remember over the summer, carol, he talked about that foreign policy trip overseas. mitt romney was strongly criticized by some in the palestinian community after he basically said that the reason why the palestinian territory there is not doing very well is because of cultural differences with israel. there is one excerpt from the speech we want to show to you. this is basically where mitt romney is going to be going with this speech later on this morning. he is going to say, quote, we cannot support our friends and

defeat our enemies in t middle east when our words are not backed by deeds, when our defense spending is being arbitrarily and deeply cut, when we have no trade agenda to speak of and the perception of our strategy is not one of partnership, but of passivity. it is time to change course in the middle east. one final thing, carol, on a campaign conference call yesterday romney's foreign policy team talked about some presidents of past they might be shaping their foreign policy principles after. they talked about the presidencies of jfk, truman and even bill clinton. after that first debate when a lot of pundits on the right and the left were sensing that mitt romney might be moving to the middle on domestic policy issues, there might be some of that on foreign policy when we hear this speech later on this morning. >> jim acosta, we'll check back with you. okay. let's take another peek at the obama campaign's preemptive strike. remember, it's called a prebuttal because it's challenging a speech romney will not give for a couple more hours. listen. >> when our u.s. diplomats were attacked in libya, "the new york

times" said romney's knee-jerk response showed an extraordinary lack of presidential character. even republican experts said romney's remarks were the worst possible reaction to what happened. if this is how he handles the world now, just think what mitt romney might do as president. >> see? the battle's already begun. the president, by the way, wrapping up a two-day fundraising blitz in california. he's expected to raise about $9.5 million. last night's shindig had a-listers like katy perry, jon bon jovi and george clooney. a reminder, the vice presidential debate is thursday night. this morning one of america's harshest critics is celebrating his re-election to another six-year term. venezuelan president hugo chavez beat back a serious challenge by a candidate backed by a number of opposition groups.

despite business ties, chavez has wrangled washington with fiery criticism and support for controversial leaders like the iranian president mahmoud ahmadinejad. this unmanned aircraft was destroyed by israeli defense forces saturday over israeli air space. happened not far from a secret nuclear plant. no one has claimed responsibility for the aircraft. one israeli security analyst says the drone, though, originated in lebanon. but the israeli government has not made any official announcement. on the subject of drones, several americans are now in pakistan protesting u.s. policy. more than 30 members of code pink marched against american drone strikes in pakistan because, according to code pink, those drones are killing way too many civilians. if you're not familiar with code pink it's a feminist group that's made a name for itself

for its anti-war demonstrations and for disrupting meetings like this protest at the 2008 republican national convention. joining me now from islamabad is madieu benjamin, co-founder of code pink. mention. >> hi, carol. thanks for having me on. >> thanks for being here. what made you decide to go to pakistan to protest? >> we have been protesting these drone strikes in the united states, as you say, in places like congressional hearings outside the white house, in front of the air force bases where the drones are being piloted, at the headquarters of the manufacturers, and we thought it was important to come directly to pakistan to let the pakistani people know there were americans that were against this policy that's killed so many innocent civilians and that we apologize for the death of their loved ones. >> so you're apologizing for america on foreign soil?

>> when we kill innocent people, we met with people whose sons have been killed, whose relatives have been killed. people who were totally innocent. and they have lost everything. their homes. and many of them also have been injured and get no kind of health care. we think it's terrible that the obama administration is doing this. and this is a secret cia program. and we felt it was important to say to the pakistani people that we want to live with them in peace. we don't want our government killing innocent people. and that we will go back home and pressure our government to stop this. >> well, the obama administration would say these drone strikes are necessary because they've taken out dangerous people who can harm the united states. >> what the people that we have met with from the region tell us, that this is a recruitment tool for al qaeda and the taliban. that as soon as there's a drone

strike that kills somebody's child or kills their wife, in that culture, the culture is then to pick up a gun and seek revenge. these people, when we went into a meeting where there were just thousands of people waiting for us, they were chanting "we want peace, we want peace." they don't want to live like this. this has been over eight years of drone strikes. killed way too many people. and they were so excited to see us coming as the face of americans who value their lives and who want to live in peace with them as well. >> medea, the united states has a tricky relationship with pakistan. we're trying to better our relations with them. don't you think your actions there are making it more difficult for our government to operate in pakistan the way it sees fit? >> on the contrary, carol, we think that we are the citizen at

this particular times -- diplomats that are winning the hearts and minds of the pakistani people. we've been to an area where they have not seen americans for ten years. all they know of america are planes that fly over their heads. sometimes 24 hours a day. terrorizing them. especially the children who go to sleep at night not knowing if they will wake up alive the next day. and so to have a group of americans come there with open arms to say that we want to live in peace with you, that's a wonderful thing for our national security. you know, polls show that three out of four pakistanis think of the u.s. as the enemy. when they see a group of americans like us, that changes their mind. >> medea benjamin from code pink, thank you so much for joining us this morning. there is growing suspicion this morning surrounding two of china's largest telecom companies operating here in the united states. a new congressional report out today shows they pose a potential national security threat. but the companies say, hey, that's not the case. poppy harlow joins me now from new york. good morning, poppy.

>> good morning, carol. this is the report. a little over 50 pages. we're just going through it. but a draft was released yesterday. and these two chinese companies don't agree with the report at all. it was prepared by the house intelligence committee over the past year. it hones in on two chinese telecom companies that really want to expand here in the united states. one is called waway. the other is called zte. both of them are big technology companies. they make things like routers and other internet gear. what this report says is they think that china, the government, has the means, the opportunity and the motive to use telecommunication companies like this for malicious purposes. namely espionage. spying. they say these companies' equipment poses a national security threat for the united states. interestingly this report is especially critical of huawei. it points to intellectual property violations, allege ties to iran and what the committee calls, quote, a pattern and

practice of potentially illegal behavior in the united states. of course, both companies pushing back. they're disputing the findings. they are expected to release more detailed statements later on presideon huawei is calling report baseless. saying it's a dangerous political distraction. zte says it sets an unprecedented standard for cooperation by any chinese company with the congressional investigation, that coming from zte, the smaller of the two companies. carol, i think as this plays out, it certainly will, it's important to note here that this congressional report found no proof of wrong doing by the companies. they have suspicions. they think there are enough things that line up here. but no solid proof. that really stood out to me, carol. >> poppy harlow reporting live for us this morning. a word about sports before we take you to break. it's about the talladega super seedway. it has lived up to its dangerous reputation. tony stewart tried a blocking

maneuver to maintain a last lap lead. he wound up causing a 25-car crash. this was a scary thing. matt kenseth won the race under caution. afterwards at least two drivers complained about the conditions at the track. >> this type of racing and the way the dynamics are and the power is on these cars, that's what happens. when you lose that momentum, you lose a ton. you're going backwards in such a hurry that -- and the other guys are coming forward with so much momentum, it's inevitable that those types of things are going to happen. >> dale erin -- earnhardt jr. said it's not safe. new orleans beat san diego,

31-24. amazingly, its first win of the season. in the baseball playoffs, tigers reliever al albuquerque got out of a ninth inning jam by inducing a comebacker to the mound. he was so happy. so very, very happy he actually picked up the ball and kissed it. the oakland a's were not happy with that gesture. they weren't happy with the way the game ended other. the teams play in oakland tomorrow night with the a's facing elimination. fungal meningitis cases are on the rise. a pharmacy is now in crisis mode. we'll tell you what the government is now telling doctors and clinics. erin harrth. earn hart. earnhardt. customer erin swenson bought from us online today.

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17 minutes past the hour. checking our top stories. jerry sandusky will find out this week how long he will serve behind bars and if he'll be labeled a sexually violent predator. former penn state assistant coach is expected to address the court during his sentencing. sandusky was found guilty of sexually assaulting several young boys including some on penn state's campus. the first commercial cargo flight is on its way to the international space station. >> two, one -- and liftoff!

>> it's carrying everything from food to clothes to science experiments. due to arrive on wednesday. the first of a dozen commercial cargo flights contracted by nasa. two philadelphia brides will never forget their weddings for absolutely the wrong reasons. this weekend three people were arrested when two different wedding parties got into a fight in a hotel lobby. during the fight one of the wedding guests had a heart attack and died. still unclear why the brawl started in the first place. an englishman and a japanese man will share the nobel prize for medicine. the announcement in in norway recognizes their understanding on how cells and organisms development. cases of fungal meningitis are believed to be linked to tainted steroid injections. the maker of those injections is

now recalling all of its products. our senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen joins us now. this just seems to be getting bigger and bigger. >> it does. because i guess what they figured is if they got fungus in one of their products, maybe they got fungus in more of their products. it's a lot of products. some of the biggies are, ok, injectable steroids. what caused all these problems in the first place. lidocaine, morphine. for a list go to cnn.com/empoweredpatient. >> what kind of products are we talking about besides the steroids? what else do they make at this pharmacy? i didn't know pharmacies did that. >> it's a compounding pharmacy. sort of this unusual animal. they make these products on their own. they may take a little bit of this and that. fentynal treats pain.

lidocaine. morphine. >> just about everyone should be worried then? >> absolutely not. let me that i cmake that very c. this is one company that makes morphine. tons of companies make morphine. chances are the morphine you or your grandma got in the hospital is not from this company. but if the hospital does have morphine from this company they're supposed to not use it. i have to think that hospitals will be good about getting this off the shelves. this is a huge -- not to mention human liability, but a huge legal liability, too. >> who specifically should be worried? >> if you got steroid injections any time since may 21st, using this product, you should, you know, be thinking about, gee, if i get a headache, if i start feeling nauseous, maybe it's because of that medicine. here's who shouldn't be worried. if your husband got injections, you don't need to worry about it. he's not going to give the disease to you. this is not contagious person to person. only the person who got the

shots needs to worry. >> thanks so much. talk back question this morning, how enthusiastic are you about voting? facebook.com/carolcnn. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan

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now's your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. the question for you this morning, how enthusiastic are you about voting? perhaps mitt romney's not so super secret weapon this year is not winning inning debates, bu enthusiasm. republicans can't wait to get to the polls. in a new politico/george washington university poll 86% of those who backed romney say they're extremely likely to vote compared to 73% who support obama. that poll was taken before the president's lackluster debate performance. a performance that's still being widely trashed. >> number two, open up more trade. especially with latin america. >> the anniversary gift. i can't believe i forgot the anniversary gift. this is bad. this is very bad.

okay. i was tdistracted by the mess i inherited from bush. but, still, i should have remembered our anniversary. >> former house speaker newt gingrich says, remember that weird moment with clint eastwood's empty chair? it's become symbolic. in their latest cover the new yorker magazine seems to agree with gingrich. take a look. empty podium. empty chair. it pretty much says it all. polls aside, enthusiasm does seem to be gaining for romney. he attracted nearly 9,000 people at rally in florida sunday. he raised 12 million tl$12 mill donations right after the debate. still romney remains in a statistical tie with the president. most political analysts say voter enthusiasm and subsequent turnout could decide the election. talk back this morning. how enthusiastic are you about voting. facebook.com/carolcnn. facebook.com/car

facebook.com/carolcnn. responses later this hour. the daily show's jon stewart faced off with fox news' bill o rye l riley this weekend. >> i have come here tonight to plea to the mayor of [ bleep ] mountain, talk to your people. >> this man, this man over here has offended every single american. are you just going to stand there -- are you sitting or standing? and what would you like for christmas, little boy? >> if you could see any american elected president, who would you choose? and why? >> i'd say clint eastwood would have to be my guy. >> why don't we ask him?

>> what do you think is the most fundamental problem with the public political discourse? >> stewart. >> even though the mock debate was heavy on laughs, the two men hit on issues of substance, too. even giving president obama and mitt romney tips on their next debate. their advice? stick to the issues. good-bye 55. more and more states up the speed limit despite more traffic fatalities. the question is, why?

30 minutes past the hour. good morning to you. i'm carol costello. stories we're watching right now in the "newsroom." we're just seconds away from the opening bell at the new york stock exchange. u.s. stocks set for a lower open

at the new trading week begins. investors aren't really optimistic about a report on asia's economic outlook. executives from the security company adt are ringing the opening bell this morning. venezuelan president hugo chavez thanking supporters and celebrating another victory. the leftist leader defeated his more moderate opponent to stay in office for six more years. chavez, who's been a vocal critic of the united states, as you know, he's often aligned himself with controversial world leaders. with gas prices nearing $5 a gallon in california the governor is now getting involved. governor jerry brown has ordered emergency steps to increase the state's gas supply to help bring down prices. a power outage at one refinery and a fire at another have pushed up prices in california. so mitt romney is set to give his speech on foreign policy in virginia just about two hours from now. the romney campaign has released excerpts ahead of the speech and

it contains sharp criticisms of president obama's policies in the middle east. the obama campaign has already hit back, even before romney has spoken. the obama camp released a new ad this morning targeting what it calls romney's foreign policy inexperience. >> when our u.s. diplomats were attacked in libya, "the new york times" said romney's knee-jerk response showed an extraordinary lack of presidential character. even republican experts said romney's remarks were the worst possible reaction to what happened. if this is how he handles the world now, just think what mitt romney might do as president. >> that's what you call a preemptive strike. joining me now, cnn contributor l.z. granderson. he leans left. senior political consultant on the rick santorum presidential campaign and republican political consultant john brabander. welcome to you both. john, let's start with you. the obama campaign is, like, offering this prebuttal. good strategy? >> well, i think they're very

much on unsafe turf here. this is a president whose only foreign policy experience when he was elected was as a state senator in illinois which is none. second of all, this is the exact same president who got caught whispering in the ear of the russians that we were going to be more flexible negotiating missile defense after the election. what type of strategy is that when you tell your major adversary you're basically going to roll over for them on a critical foreign policy issue? so i think that actually obama is now going into unsafe turf for him. i think that this makes mitt romney look very presidential. >> l.z., have the tables turned? president obama is vulnerable on the libya question since it took the administration so long to admit it really was a terrorist attack that killed four americans there. >> you know, i had to laugh. because while it is true, senator obama did not have a lot of foreign policy experience, what he did to shore that up was to bring in joe biden as his vp

candidate. what did mitt romney do? he brought in paul ryan who has even less, if you could imagine that, foreign policy experience except maybe perhaps voting against tougher sanctions on iran while he was in congress. as far as that argument's concerned, i think it's rather debunked. i want to read to you very quickly a quote from mitt romney from that video with the 47%. this is his -- this is his foreign policy in a nutshell. so what do you do -- this is about peace in the middle east. you say you move things along the best way you can. you hope for some degree of stability. but you recognize this is an unsolved problem and we kick the ball down the field and hope ultimately somehow something will happen and resolve it. that's what mitt romney said on foreign policy behind closed doors. whatever he says today in a couple of hours, you got to juxtapose that to that quote in the video when he thought no one else was listening. >> john, one of mitt romney's problems is the only specifics he's given as to how his foreign policy differs from president obama is that he's going to talk tougher and somehow that'll change the behavior of these

countries. >> well, first of all, let's not forget this is the president that said on foreign policy you lead from behind. which is not the american way. second of all, the reason for the speech today is mitt romney is going to talk about a plan for the middle east. something that this president has yet to really talk about. and third of all -- >> kick the ball down the field? >> -- there are a lot of questions about libya, the security there, that are yet unanswered. i think that'll be addressed by mitt romney today. >> l.z.? >> well, i hope if he mentions libya he talked about gadhafi. gadhafi is no longer here because of the president's leadership ppy hope when he talks about foreign policy he also remembers foreign policy isn't just about war and disafwreemt but also about the way the rest of the world feels about this country. i traveled the world when bush was in office. and i traveled it since obama's been in office. i can tell you i am greeted totally different as an american as a result of this presidency. and his foreign policy. so it's not just about war. it's not just about the middle

east. it's about the globe. i think if you really look at it ho wholistically, you would see the president has had a good record in how he's managed the other world leaders in making sure america stays on top. one other thing. if he's going to talk about foreign policy, make sure you bring up some of the things he doesn't like to talk about like how the iran currency has collapsed because of the president's leadership and that there's actually now been rioting in iran because of the president's leadership. also, by the way, osama bin laden is dead. if he doesn't mention that, he's not really being serious. >> john, something that i think that mitt republican keeps saying, that's these huge increases to defense spending. i think most americans really aren't so in favor of that. >> well, look. we see that you have iran rapidly moving towards nuclear weapons. we see north korea moving towards long range missiles. we see the muslim brotherhood now in charge in places like egypt. there is a lot of fear that is out there. being a leader is something that says, look, we have to do better

than we are. second of all i think a lot of americans understand that the top job of the federal government is to keep americans safe. third of all, i agree. there's probably a lot of places that they are very happy with the american policy right now. when you embrace people like chavez, when you place people like the muslim brotherhood in places like egypt, i'm sure they love that american strategy. but it's time they start respecting us, not just liking us because we're doing nothing. >> john brabender, l.z. granderson. >> doing nothing. okay. ask bin laden about nothing. >> you guys fight amongst yourselves behind the scenes. we appreciate the conversation. thanks so much. kony 2012 director jason russell is breaking his silence about a very public breakdown. you remember. naked in the street and all?

of course you remember the naked breakdown of kony 2012 film maker jason russell. he's now explaining why. "showbiz tonight's" a.j. hammer is live in new york. >> they called his video the most viral video of all time. he's speaking out for the first time since having what he says was a nervous breakdown. that breakdown virtually crushed his project which really seemed to be inspiring a movement against ugandan war lord joseph kony earlier this year. he spoke with oprah winfrey yesterday. he said most of his doctors agree that post-traumatic stress disorder compounded his breakdown which built up over nine years of stress and the catapult into the media exacerbated the pressure he felt. here's what he told oprah. let's watch. >> did you go crazy? >> oh, yeah. oh, yeah. >> i'm glad you say that. >> oh, yeah.

it was like a soda can. you shake it up. it explodes into the air. i mean, it was -- >> how do you end up in the street naked? >> yeah. i know. i wish i knew. i had my bathrobe on and my underwear. a friend was coming over. we were talking in the kitchen. it got to the point in the house where i snapped. >> wow. kony 2012 is by many accounts one of the most watched videos of all time. 111 million viewings at a recent counting according to the l.a. times. russell's organization invisible children released a new video on sunday in hopes of restarting efforts to bring joseph kony to justice. a rally is planned for washington, d.c., on november 17th. kony fled uganda in 2006, carol. he is believed to be hiding somewhere in central africa. fascinating story, though. >> absolutely. >> what a wild thing to have been through for this guy. >> i know. you do. you feel for him. you really do. let's talk about something happy, though. "esquire" magazine naming mila kunis sexiest woman alive. i must say, i agree.

>> she has been declared for very good reason alpha female in "esquire's" annual hotness derby. she's 29 years old. she appears topless on the cover of the november issue. she's in pretty good company. she takes the crowd from last year's winner, rihanna. kunis is having a good year. not just this cover. she's got a handful of films in the works including a "ted" sequel. she recently signed on for a christian dior campaign as well. good times. a long way from "that '70s show," carol. >> i was going to mention "black swan." so great in that movie. a.j. will be back with us next hour to tell us how much "taken 2," how it took over the box office this weekend. ♪

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45 minutes past the hour. in the always important state of florida, the voter registration deadline for the presidential election is tomorrow night. cnn's john zarrella caught up with some people working to sign up potential voters. and they're finding a discouraging amount of apathy. >> reporter: jasinia fernandez and karen garcia go door to door. the question they ask is simple but one of te modemocracy's mos important. >> sometimes i get sad because people tell me, you know, i don't want to vote. i don't liking voting. it's frustrating sometimes. they do have the right and can vote. they don't want to vote. >> reporter: jessinia and karen work for a plethora of organizations, some partisan, some not, engaged in a last minute swing state signing race to register voters.

since the primary more than 133,000 people have registered. >> are you registered to vote? >> reporter: at florida atlantic university in boca raton -- >> are you registered to vote this year? >> reporter: outside the courthouse in plantation there's no mistaking which candidate allen supports. but he says -- >> we register anyone that comes along that wants to register. >> reporter: but you would prefer they register democrats. >> of course. i work for the obama campaign. >> reporter: 20-year-old jonathan colone registered. >> i'm looking in the future. whatever they can do to make their four years count is what i really want. >> reporter: with so much at stake in florida there can be a darker side to voter registration. palm beach county's supervisor of elections susan booker discovered discrepancies. signatures that looked the same. addresses that didn't appear right on more than 100 voter registration forms. >> we just haven't ever experienced this kind of issue with the registration forms. so that's got us a little disconcerted.

>> reporter: the company at the center of what is now a statewide investigation, strategic allied consulting, hired by the republican party to register voters, was fired. strategic insists the problem was with one individual and that it maintains rigorous quality control measures. back in ft. lauderdale, not a good day for jessinia and karen. only a handful of new registers. that hurts, they say. you see, neither one is a u.s. citizen. both are part of the group called dreamers, whose parents brought them here illegally when they were children. and here they are trying to encourage people to exercise a right they only wish they had. >> have a nice day. >> reporter: john zarrella, cnn, ft. lauderdale. that brings us definitely to our talk back question of the morning. how enthusiastic are you about voting? this from val. i'm so there for romney. we have to turn this economy around. this from mackenzie. in 2008 i was so excited to vote

for obama i actually cried tears of joy. this year i'm still very enthusiastic about voting for obama, but i probably won't cry. this from sharon. i'm very excited to vote for the romney/ryan ticket. i believe that obama has been a terrible president and am worried for my family if he's reelected. this from david, i'm super excited to vote for obama. i don't trust romney. i don't think romney cares about me. this from steve. seems that it's not so much that i'm voting for someone. i'm always voting against someone. facebook.com/carolcnn. please continue the conversation.

you can't drive 55, well, no one else can either. instead of providing more money and man power to enforce the law, many politicians across the country are upping the speed limit big time. according to the governor's highway safety association seven states, kansas, kentucky, maine, ohio, pennsylvania, texas and virginia have increased speed

limits to as high as 85 miles per hour on certain roads. maybe you're saying it is about time. consider this. there is no doubt excessive speed kills. if you have a need for speed, highway 130 near austin, texas, is where you have to be. later this fall posted legal speed limit 85. >> it is the highest posted speed limit on the whole western hemisphere, right? it is really pretty neat. >> an anomoly? not by a long shot. according to the insurance institute for highway safety, 35 states have raised speed limits to 70 miles per hour or higher, and no one is more aware of that than long distance truckers like anthony frederick, and frankly, it scares him. >> doing 85 miles an hour, all they're doing is asking for more accidents and more deaths, that's about it. they say it takes a football field to stop a semi. 85 miles an hour, try to stop a

sem that i someone slams on the brakes quick for an emergency or not. >> think about it. 85 miles an hour packs a punch, as strong as a category 1 hurricane. >> the chances of surviving an 85 miles an hour crash is essentially zero. >> he ought to know. adrian lund is the crash test dummy guy. this is what a crash looks like at only 40 miles per hour. so why go twice as fast? according to the texas department of transportation, highway 130 was built for speed, and engineers put their professional certifications and seals on the line, stating this is the safe and right speed for this highway. also, the reality is people have been driving at high rates of speeds in texas for years. >> people don't recognize that there is a real trade here. they want to go faster, they want to deny that there will be any safety cost to it.

it is just wrong. >> although texas officials would disagree, an american journal of public health study found an extra 12,000 highway deaths occurred in the decade after the nationwide 55 miles an hour speed limit was lifting. >> if you want more specifics, in 2010, 10,530 people lost their lives in speeding related crashes in the crates and puerto rico, that's 31% of all traffic deaths. why are speed limits going up and why do we need to drive that fast anyway? we'll talk more about that in the next hour. two of this generations top quarterbacks faced off in an historic meeting with afc dominance at stake. tom brady versus peyton manning next.

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two nfl elite quarterbacks faced off. tom brady led the patriots on more than four scoring drives of more than 80 yards and many called without a huddle. they led by 31-7 in the third quarter. peyton manning through tore two touchdowns but a failed attempt sealed the fate. patriots win 31-21. the former team, the indianapolis colts were wearing chuck strong t-shirts for their heads coach. les than a minuting to, andrew luck connects with wayne and wayne reaching into the end zone and the colts win 30-27. baltimore is back in baseball's playoffs for the first time since 1997 and the yankees spoiled the return last night. the home run ignited a fourth inning and yankees 7, orioles 2,

and game two in baltimore. the washington nationals won their first playoff game ever. the two-out single in the eighth scored two runs and they held to to beat st. louis 3-2. gonzalez was wild and gave up seven walks. the nats reliever stymied the cards in the other game last night, the reds beat the giants. the next hour of "cnn newsroom" starts right now. happening now, mitt romney set to outline his foreign policy while the obama camp launches an attack before romney even utters a word. get a smaller waistline and increase your bottom line. why losing weight could help you get a raise. 55 miles per hour is fast becoming a thing of the past. speed limits are up and so are deaths. so why this need for speed? and she is one of the best

skiers on the entire planet. now lindsay vaughn wants a new challenge on the slope. the girl versus the guy. newsroom starts now. good morning. thank you so much for being with us. i am carol costello. we begin on the campaign trail. president obama is raising cash and mitt romney is raising concerns. next hour romney will deliver a foreign policy speech ripping the administration's handling of the middle east and its many recent flash points. libya, syria, iran, romney has said that obama has weakened america's standing in the world. >> we face a time when there is turmoil in the middle east and other parts of the world and people are asking where is america? where is american leadership in this is a critical time. if we were to reelect president obama, i don't think we would measure up to the test of time. >> mark preston is in our

washington bureau. good morning, mark. does romney have the standing himself to make foreign policy a critical campaign issue? >> i think it is too late in the campaign right now, carol, for mitt romney to really make big in roads on the issue of foreign policy. what he needs to do is really portray himself and present himself to the voters as somebody who is ready to step in as day one, as our viewers will remember back in 2008 hillary clinton tried to make a big issue of barack obama not being the person able to deal with world crisises and in fact ran a television ad called the 3 a.m. ad, and we have seen that president obama has lived up to that. he was able to kill osama bin laden, but yet he has been criticized in some foreign policy issues. he is going to speak, governor romney, as you said in just about an hour hooi ishour. let's take a look at one of the things he plans on hitting on. let me read a little to you. these are from the excerpts of his speech. we cannot support our friends

and defeat our enemies in the middle east when our words are not backed by deeds and when defense spending is arbitrarily and teenly cut and no trade agenda to speak of and the perception of our strategy is not one of partnership but of passive. it is time to change course in the middle east. what we hear in the statement that governor romney will say in a short period of time, he is hitting a couple of notes here. the first note, he is talking about and certainly criticizing president obama's focus on the middle east or lack thereof focus according to governor romney and also talking about the deep defense cuts that will happen and certainly affect virginia at the state where he is going to be giving this speech. >> mark preston joining us live from washington this morning. even though romney is still more than an hour from delivering that speech, the obama campaign is already launching its counter offensive. that's why it is called a prebut tal. listen. >> reckless, amateurish, what

news media and republicans call romney's tour of england, israel and poland when the u.s. diplomats were attacked in libya they say romney's knee jerk response showed a lack of presidential character. >> that ad is airing in virginia and comes two weeks before the next presidential debate and the focus as you might guess foreign policy. the vice presidential debate is three days away and paul ryan and joe biden are pouring their efforts into getting ready. rehearsal sessions, briefing books and lots and lots of cramming. >> what i have been doing mostly is quite frankly studying up on congressman ryan's positions on the issues and governor romney has embraced at least everything i can see. i don't want to say anything in the debate that's not completely accurate. >> he is fast on the cuff. he is a witty guy.

he knows who he is, and he has been doing this for 40 years. you're not going to rattle joe biden. joe is very good on the attack. joe is very good at trying to confuse the issues. >> this is biden's second vice presidential debate n 2008 he squared off with republican nominee sara palin fbs. join us for the vice presidential debate thursday night. cnn's live coverage begins at 7 eastern. hugo chavez has been elected to another six year term with one of the highest voter participation rates in decades. >> more than 8 million compatriots voted for the revolution and socialism and they voted for independence. they voted for the greatness of venezuela. >> venezuela is the fourth largest exporter of oil to the united states, and chavez has been venezuela's president since 1999. onto pakistan where a group

of americans are braving dangerous conditions to protest u.s. policy. more than 30 members of code pink marched against american drone strikes in pakistan because according to code pink the drones are killing too many civilians. last hour i talked with madea benjamin, a co-founder of the group in islam bad and she says code pink is fostering a better relationship between pakistani civilians and u.s. citizens. >> we have been to an area where they have not seen americans for ten years, and all they know of america are planes that fly over their heads and sometimes 24 hours a day and terrorizing them, especially the children who go to sleep at night not knowing if they will wake up alive the next day. so to have a group of americans come there with open arms to say that we want to live in peace with you, that's a wonderful thing for our national security. polls show that three out of four pakistanis think of the u.s. as the enemy. when they see a group of

americans like us, that changes their mind. >> reza has more on code pings and the march against the drone strikes. >> american peace activists, mostly middle aged women dressed in pink tried to enter pakistan's tribal region, a place many call one of the dangerous regions in the world, a protest against deadly american drone strikes in the area. >> it is making us hated around the world. they say 3 out of 4 pakistanis thinks of the united states as the enemy. i don't want to be the enemy of these people. i want to be loved by the pakistanis and people under athe world. >> activists say the drone strikes that target militants in the region are illegal assassinations in sovereign countries where the u.s. is not at war. they also say drones kill too many civilians and fuel hatred. >> we are creating our own enemies obviously, and this is one of the best tools for recruitment for the bad guys. isn't that obvious? >> they are immoral.

they are illegal. against a national rule of law and the u.s. rule of law. >> on saturday the antiwar group code pink joined a convoy of more than 100 cars led by pakistani cricket star turned politician imran hahn. the procession headed towards the volatile tribal region along the afghan border to call for an end to the strikes. the peace activists were stopped short by pakistani authorities who used steel shipping containers and security forces to keep them out and disappointment among the activists and they say they won't be deterred and point to a recent survey by the london based bureau of investigative journalism that says drone strikes have killed more than 400 civilians since 2004. in recent years the obama administration has stepped up drone astacks. u.s. officials say the aerial strikes are an effective strategy and have killed hundreds of militants that fueled the insurgency across the

border in afghanistan. washington also insists civilian casualties are rare. members of code pink say they held fundraisers in the u.s. to pay their way over here and got close to pakistan's tribal region, about an hour away. this is a place many u.s. government and military officials never dare step in. pakistani authorities said they had to stop them for their own safety. even so, code pink not done making nose against the u.s. drones and planning on more protests this week in pakistan. reza saya, cnn, islam bad. the spacex rocket blasted off from cape canaveral last night launching the first commercial flight to the international space station. the unmanned capsule is on its way after separating from the rocket. dragon is carrying 1,000 pounds of cargo and this is the first of a dozen nasa contracted flights to resupply the space station. talk about launching a big one, new orleans saints quarterback drew brees rewrote history in

the game against san diego. brees scoring past henderson marked the 40th straight game he's had a touchdown pass and that breaks the previous mark of baltimore colts legend johnny unites. >> it stans over the course of really four seasons. hopefully we can keep it going for a while. >> hope so. the nfl allowed sean payton to come to a game by request by brees. peyton is out for the season in his role in the bountygate scandal. if you have been wishing and hoping to get a raise, it may be time to put your exercise shoes on and head to the gym. good morning. >> good morning, carol. there is a recent study by a researcher at cleveland state university and finds out the more you exercise the more it can make. 6% higher pay for men and 10% higher pay for women, and studies show that even moderate

exercise has a positive impact and more frequent workouts drive your pay even higher. why is this? as exercise boosts your energy level, your workplace productivity goes up, too. and other studies looking at the flip side support the findings showing that people who aren't ain good shape tend to make less money. if you're interested in more tips here, visit cnnmoney.com for tips on how to get fit without breaking the bank. >> thanks. more nfl players are coming out to support gay rights. they're not all posing shirtless for out magazine. chris coolly is, though. we'll talk next. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 when i'm trading, i'm so into it, tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 hours can go by before i realize tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 that i haven't even looked away from my screen. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 that kind of focus... tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 that's what i have when i trade.

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university of south alabama police officer is on paid administrative leave after shooting and killing an unarmed nude student. the school says gilbert collar was actingy rat cally and ignoring the campus police officer's commands and rushed the officer on saturday morning. that's when the officer said he shot the 18-year-old several times. a u.s. border patrol agent killed near the mexico border will be laid to rest today. he died during a gun fight that they say was likely the result of friendly fire. this weekend three people were arrest when two different wedding parties got into a fight in a hotel lobby. during the fight a guest had a heart attack and died. professional boxer orlando cruz shocked the world when he announced he is gay. the puerto rican featherweight

says he is at peace at becoming the first pro boxer to come out of the closet and says he is a proud gay man and he is ranked fourth in his division. chris cluey may not be gay but supports major equality and also the kicker for the minnesota vikings and the november cover gay for the gay publication out magazine. not every day you see an nfl player posing shirtless in a gay magazine for supporting gay rights. kluwe's recent smack down letter to a maryland state delegate gained national attention. he responded and defended a player and used choice language. quote, how does gay marriage, he said, in any way, shape or form affect your life? if gay merge becomes legal all of a sudden you will start thinking about the p word? will all of your friends turn gi and refuse to come to your sunday ticket grillouts? unlikely since gay people enjoy watching football, too.

out magazine's editor in chief spent time with chris kluwe, and he is in los angeles. welcome. >> hello. >> why did you put chris kluwe on the cover? >> i think it was all there in your clip. to a lot of us he is a hero. he is right. gay people do love football, too, and i think a lot of us see that the tide is finally turning and chris kluwe is not the first instance of an nfl player appearing on the cover shirtless. mike irvin, the dallas cowboys great appeared on the cover last year talking about gay rights and using his position albeit as a former player to broaden the field as it were, to encourage and embrace players of all stripes including gay players, and i think for a lot of us chris kluwe is really a clarion call for other players to follow in his foot steps and use the positions to say, hey, no big deal, you know, gay, straight,

white, black, it is all the same. >> i guess i was more impressed with the pictures inside the magazine with chris kluwe appearing shirtless and they were sexy pictures. >> you know, i have it on very good authority that was at the insistence of his wife. i think she wanted pretty pictures to look at. >> it is amazing how he has become this voice for gay rights in america. i guess he recently challenged the minnesota state representative mary franzen to a debate because she opposes same sex marriage. i don't think she accepted. it is interesting that he is just getting into politics and not afraid. >> you know, it is interesting. he is using his first amendment rights to defend other people's first amendment rights, and what's great about chris kluwe is, yeah, he is a great athlete and he is a ver rashs reader and very smart and a great way with words and i think he is a real inspiration to all of us, not

just athletes to really to better use language in such a way that he comes across as just a really great orator. i love talking to him. i think he is funny, smart, and super thoughtful. >> yeah. i read a little bit of the article. i read the whole article, and he describes how he crafted his response to delegate burns and how he chooses choice language to get his points across. >> you know what, as a kid, and as an adult, he plays a lot of video games, and apparently on video game chat boards there is a lot of repertoire and back and forth and verbal jousting and i think he really honed his skills. his twitter handle is war craft, taken from war craft, which is a very popular video game, and he is very much sort of honed his ability in the world of video games and literature, and i think that's kind of great.

>> yeah. it is a great article. the pictures are even better. thanks so much from out magazine. >> hopefully we'll have more of that. >> i hope so, too. it is a sure sign summer is long gone. in many parts of the country, very cold temperatures, unusually cold temperatures. we'll give you the forecast next. [ male announcer ] research suggests cell health plays a key role

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now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. how enthusiastic are you about voting? perhaps mitt romney is not so super secret weapon this year is not winning debates but enthusiasm. republicans can't wait to get to the polls. in a new politico george washington university poll 86% of those who back romney say they're extremely likely to vote compared to 73% who support obama. that poll was taken before the president's lackluster debate

performance, a performance that still is being widely trashed. >> number two, open up more trade, especially with latin america. >> the anniversary gift, i can't believe i forgot the anniversary gift. this is bad. this is very, very bad. okay, i was distracted by the mess by president bush, but, still, i should have remembered our anniversary. >> former house speaker newt gingrich says remember the weird moment with clint eastwood's empty chair? it has become symbolic. in the latest cover the new yorker seems to agree with gingrich. take a look. empty podium, empty chair, about says it all. polls aside, enthusiasm does seem to be building for romney. his campaign says he attracted 9,000 people at a rally in florida on sunday. he raised $12 million in online

donations after the debate. romney remains in a statistical tie with the president although most political analysts say voter enthusiasm and subsequent turnout could decide the election. talk back question for you today. how enthusiastic are you about voting? facebook.com/carolcnn. your response is later this hour. it was billed as the rumble in the air conditioned auditorium and when jon stewart went head to head with bill o'reil o'reilly, things got funny. you. we know you. we know you have to rise early... and work late, with not enough sleep in between. how you sometimes need to get over to that exit, like, right now. and how things aren't...

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[ male announcer ] try new alka-seltzer plus severe allergy hahahaha! hooohooo, hahaha! this is awesome! folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. i'd say happier than a slinky on an escalator. get happy. get geico. melons!!! oh yeah!! well that was uncalled for. folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico sure are happy. how happy, ronny? happier than gallagher at a farmers' market. get happy. get geico. well, if itmr. margin?margin. don't be modest, bob. you found a better way to pack a bowling ball. that was ups. and who called ups? you did, bob. i just asked a question. it takes a long time to pack a bowling ball. the last guy pitched more ball packers. but you... you consulted ups. you found a better way. that's logistics.

that's margin. find out what else ups knows. i'll do that. you're on a roll. that's funny. i wasn't being funny, bob. i know. from texas to new york, many people probably woke up and said what happened to fall? alexander steele is here to answer that question. >> right. it was a brief what happened to fall. officially we have 2.5 months until winter and we'll really warm up before then. it is the worst is over, it was this morning and yesterday, and st. louis 51 degrees the high yesterday, 170 record low high

temperatures, so highs were 15 to 25 degrees below average. places like dallas should be at 78. they were at 53. washington, d.c. included, let's take you live there for a look and show you they, too, yesterday records for you, 52 dulles. temperatures warming. high in washington and around the beltway, 54, 55 new york, and 60s in memphis. what will happen as we heades toward the next couple days? temperatures warm and atlanta back in the 60s and 69 and minneapolis cools down. what we have is another clipper coming through, so a reinforcing shot of cool air. as we look towards the next six to ten days, temperature outlook, believe it or not, even with the snow and the cold, temperatures will be well above normal for the balance of the country and places like new york, 65 wednesday, philadelphia gets to 70 on wednesday, and so you will say what 40 degrees temperatures? they won't even remember. >> i hope not.

thanks, alexandria. >> sure. >> coming up on 30 minutes past the hour, checking the top stories, in pakistan protests are taking place focuses on the united states policy of using drones in the country. supporters supporting the antidrone march broke through police barriers and the u.s. feminist group code pink taking part in the demonstrations in pakistan. california drivers may soon get relief from the sky high gas prices. they're allowing the winter driving blend to be used a month earlier. gas prices in some areas already hit more than $5 a gallon. in less than an hour we'll get new insight into the foreign policy plans of mitt romney. mr. romney is speaking at the virginia military institute. he is expected to attack president obama on his handling of the middle east and iran and we will bring you that speech live in the next hour of newsroom. okay. the countdown is onto the first

vice presidential debate this thursday night at 7 eastern, the candidates will face off in a one-on-one where unlike the first presidential debate all topics will be on the table. let's talk about that. maria cardona is here and republican strategist ron bonge joins us, too. >> good morning. >> i am more excited for the vice presidential deba than the next presidential debate, maria. >> i am, too, and obviously there is a lot riding on this one for the democrats, and i think you will see joe biden really come out swinging and he is somebody who can be very fiery on the stump, and in fact his convention speech was one of the best out there, and it was in fact the one that was most viewed, and he is seen as somebody who is a real champion for the middle class and he is up against paul ryan who is the quintessential example of a plan that would actually hurt the middle class if we implement everything that he is talking about. it is going to be a very great

night i think for biden to really make the contrast which i think was a little missed opportunity for president obama in his debate. >> and it will be a contrast in so many ways, just in age i think that paul ryan was three years old when joe biden started debating. >> well, you know, that's right. paul ryan is younger. we're hoping that biden does come out swinging and makes one of the the infamous gaffes like talking about how the middle class has been struggling over the last four years or that he wants to raise the obama administration wants to raise taxes by over a trillion dollars. this is the joe biden we want. joe biden has to be careful about going too hard at paul ryan because of just that, because of the gaffes and because he can look over bearing, and paul, a lot is riding on paul ryan, and we want to keep that momentum going from that first debate, and he has to be careful not to get into the weeds of some of these policies. >> i know. he tends to be quite wonkish at

times and people listen and say what? >> well, that's right. it is important that ryan stick with the big picture and go after biden on the rising debt and our sky rocketed unemployment and talk about the failed last four years as opposed to being trying to get trapped in some of the bieden spiderwebs that he will try to weave. >> it appears that joe biden is really taking this seriously because the democrats don't want to repeat of the first debate, right? joe biden apparently has taken six days off and practicing, practicing, practicing, especially with zingers. >> yes, absolutely, and he should be taking it seriously. i think ron is right in that biden has to be a little careful not to come out and look like he is such an attack dog against the younger ryan and at the same time i think that it is a terrific opportunity to again make that contrast with paul

ryan, and look, ron talked about ryan's gaffes, and paul ryan is not gaffe free. there are various speeches where he has basically been videotaped and seen talking about how the majority of americans are takers and not makers, and i think that is a sentence that joe biden can really use against paul ryan and focus again on the contrast between really wanting to grow the middle class which is what obama wants to do versus paul ryan and his plan and he is the architect of the plan that romney has embraced and that will do a lot of damage to the middle class. >> let me ask a last question of ron about that. ryan's policies are different than mitt romney's, and i am sure that joe biden will bring that up during the debate, so paul ryan really has to make sure that he is talking on behalf of mitt romney which sometimes isn't so easy to do. >> well, in a debate like this you have to talk 30,000 feet because you're talking to voter who is don't necessarily know who you are or what policies are you talking about.

so you want to focus on the policies broadly and how they would help the middle class and the jobs and how they would reduce the debt and the deficit you don't want to be at a budget committee hearing parsing numbers so to speak. i think paul ryan has done an excellent job representing the middle class coming from a wisconsin background and able to put that state into play and to keep the momentum going. i think we'll see a great debate night this thursday. >> i know. can't wait. thanks so much for being with us this morning thank you. >> it was billed as a rumble in a temperature cold room and things did heat up this weekend. the daily show's jon stewart facing off with i am fox news pil o'reilly at a mock debate and if last week's debate left you hungry for zingers, these guys did not disappoint. >> you have to let the free marketplace run a little bit. i understand the wall street stuff and i got it. i am not a big wall street guy. you have to let them employ. you have to unleash the machine.

>> yes, because what could go wrong? >> like we're doing real great now, huh? >> we're not doing real great now. if you take your eye from looking at the world through a toilet paper roll and you get a broader perspective, you will see the things are you suggesting are not part of a fundamental change that obama has brought. >> redistribution. do you believe in it? >> do you? >> no. i asked first. too cliktd? >> i believe in social security. do you believe in social security. >> yes. >> so we're both socialists. >> no, no. >> redistribution. >> social security is income redistribution. >> no, it is not. you pay into it. >> but you don't pay into it what you get out of it. some people pay more. >> you pay in a cumulative effect. >> no, no, no, no. >> even though the mock debate was heavy on laughs, two men hit

on issues of substance, too, and even giving president obama and mitt romney tips on their next debate and that advice would be to stick to the issues. you might remember this man, naked in the street ranting, the producer of what's called the most viral video ever, koney 2012 opening up to oprah about his breakdown. ♪ [ male announcer ] how do you make 70,000 trades a second... ♪ reach one customer at a time?

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remember the naked breakdown kony 2012 film maker jason russell in he is explaining exactly what happened. a.j. hammer is live in new york to tell us. good morning? good morning, carol. this was a good get for oprah winfrey. he spoke yesterday and he says most of the doctors agreed that ptsd compounded his breakdown which was built up over nine years of stress and the sudden catapult into the media

spotlight really exacerbated the pressure that he was feeling. he has called russell's film the most viral video of all time. watch what he told oprah. >> did you go crazy? >> oh, yeah. oh, yeah. >> i am glad you say that. >> oh, yeah. it was like a soda can, you shake it up, and it explodes into the air. i mean, it was -- >> how do you end up in the street naked? >> yeah. i know. i wish i knew. i had my bathrobe on and underwear and a friend was coming over and talking in the kitchen and they got to the point in the house where i snapped. >> there you have it. that's what happened. the breakdown essentially crushed the project and stopped koney 2012 that seemed to be inspiring this movement earlier this year and russell's organization did release a new video on sunday in hopes of restarting the efforts and they're also planning a rally for washington, d.c. in november. the work does continue. okay. let's talk about the box office

this weekend. what was it, taken 2 was tops. >> yeah. this really blindsided box office watchers, this huge opening weekend that took in $50 million, twice what the original taken did in its opening weekend in 2009 and says something about liam neeson's massive appeal. the actor really looks like he is riding high at the peak of his career and opens a new action movie every couple months. over the past year or so he has been in battleship, rath of the titans, the dark night rises and also really good at turning small action films like unknown and the gray into hits so he is now without a doubt one of hollywood's most bankable stars. >> you got that right. thanks so much. join a.j. on "showbiz tonight" 11 eastern on hln. pushing the limit, as in the speed limit, 85 miles per hour. it could soon not speed limit you see all the time all across the country. we'll talk next. [ male announcer ] the 2013 smart comes with 8 airbags,

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checking the top stories, a little more than a half hour mitt romney will tell voters his vision for u.s. foreign policy. he will speak at the virginia military institute, and he is expected to attack president obama on his handling of the middle east and iran. we'll bring you the speech live in the next hour. in health news, 91 people in nine states have now come down with a rare strain of fungal meningitis. so far seven people have died in cases linked to tainted steroid injections. this weekend the maker of the steroid recalled all of the products. venezuelan president hugo chavez will stay in the office another six years. he won re-election last night and got more than 54% of the vote. 90% of the ballots have been counted and chavez has been in power since 1999. you can't drive 55.

well, no one else can either. instead of providing more money and man power to enforce the law, many politicians across the country are upping the speed limit big time. according to the governor's highway safety association, seven states, kansas, kentucky, maine, ohio, pennsylvania, texas, and virginia have increased speed limits to as high as 85 miles per hour on certain roads. some drivers think that's grand. others don't. >> it is the highest posted speed limit on the whole western hemisphere, right? it is really pretty neat. >> doing 85 miles an hour, all they're doing is asking for more accidents and more deaths is about it. >> the president of the insurance institute for highway safety, adrian lund, joining us from washington. just to be sure everybody knows what you do, you are the crash test dummy guy, right? >> yes, we do crash tests and we also look at how other state laws and so forth affect highway

safety. >> first off, tell us, when you get into a car accident going 85 miles per hour, what are your chances of survival? >> if you crash at 85 miles per hour, your chances of survival are probably zero. . >> so is it safe to say that speed causes more traffic fatalities? >> absolutely. we know from history of experimenting with national maximum speed limits and so forth that when we reduce speed limits and people go slower, we reduce the number of crashes and we particularly reduce the income of severe crashes that result in death. conversely, as we have increased speed limits since the 1970s, we have repeated lysine that the risk of crashing and the risk of fatal crashes on our highways has gone up. >> with that in mind, it is like i just can't figure out why politicians would be okay with raising the speed limit to 85 miles per hour. i mean, do we really need to go

faster? >> well, that is a political debate, carol. some people do want to go faster. some people are willing to accept the cost. others deny the cost. there are people out there who think that you can raise the speed limit and because people are already exceeding the old speed limit they think this will make a nation of law abiding citizens if we just raise the speed limit. what actually happens is you raise the speed limit, people get used to that, and then they exceed that limit as well, and to about the same extent as the old limit. >> so in essence what you're saying, oh, people drive 10, 20 miles above the speed limit of 55 anyway, so why not raise the speed limit and then enforce the law. if someone is driving even two miles over 85 miles an hour we'll catch them and fine them big time. you're saying that is not exactly what happens. >> that isn't what happens. what we see is there is only so much money for enforcement.

law enforcement is already stretched thin. so the notion that we're going to enforce the new speed limits a lot better than the old speed limits is just false. >> well, that's what texas -- in texas they have a highway near austin, a stretch of highway where they will raise the speed limit to 85 miles per hour, and the texas department of transportation says, hey, we can do that because the highway was built expressly for people going fast and it is safer. how do you respond to that? >> i am sure that they have designed this highway well. people will be able to travel faster. it is safer than the old highways. it would be even safer if the speed limit were 80 miles an hour or if were 75 miles an hour. >> so you're trying to maintain the 55 miles per hour speed limit. are you fighting a losing battle? >> i think politically we are fighting a losing battle. the thing that i think concerns me most is that when we look at

our 55 miles per hour highways, people are really exceeding the speed limit there. this is something that people don't understand. if you allow higher speeds on some roads, say 80, 85 miles an hour, that tends to general eyes over to other highways and even on surface streets, city streets. we have measured that people coming off of high speed expressways go faster on those surface streets. >> adrian lund, thank you so much for being with us this morning. we appreciate it. >> thank you, carol. >> talking about speed, a nightmare finish at taml did he go a 25 cars crash on the final lap and one driver said it is a blood thirsty course. ♪ [ slap! ] [ slap! slap! slap! slap! ] ow!

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skier lindsay vaughn, a four-time woman's world cup champion. what challenge is still out there for her? how about racing against the top men in the world? that's what lindsay vaughn wants to do next month at an event in canada. carlos diaz is here and do you think she will do it?

will they allow it some. >> first off, we're not 1979. this is something that -- >> skating on thin ice. >> i have to problems getting on thin ice. i will fall through in a second. it is not that cut-and-dried. i honestly believe the u.s. ski federation would say yes in a heart beat. here is the rub. they wants to compete against the men in alberta this weekend in november. the very next weekend the women go to the very same course. there is a rule in downhill skiing that says in world cup skiing that you cannot compete five days prior to an event on the same slopes. in other words, it would give you a very distinct advantage. they're having to weigh the advantage she would have knowing the course that the men do even though it is a slightly different course than the women are doing a week later and she has said, guess what, i will forego the two practice runs and i can compete on sunday and compete the following saturday and everybody is fine. there is already one female

skier saying, lindsay, go get yours, that's great, but that is -- >> but i want to win this competition. >> it is an unfair advantage. that's the whole thing. i think skiing would welcome this because we watch skiing. >> that really is the point. >> that's the thing. that is where we're at. it is no longer billie jean king and she cited the golfer allowed to compete against the men and michelle wi, so it has been done before. she wants to find out where she would finish to give you precedent as to her time last year out of the 66 guys in the course, she would have finished 64 out of 66. she is not like near the top. her goal she says is the top 30. you have to understand this is not golf. downhill skiing can be dangerous. if you push yourself further than you usually push yourself, you're talking about risking serious injury here. >> she is fantastic skier. >> she is amazing. >> like the tiger woods of

skiing. >> and that's true. she is amazing. i think they'll find a way to make this happen. it would be a lot easier if the women weren't in canada the very next week. that's the whole thing. it adds another layer of drama to this. >> it does. we like drama, though. thank you very much. we appreciate it. spe speaking of racing, nascar's chase for the cup ran at talladega and the speedway lived up to the dangerous reputation. tony stewart wound up causing a 25-car crash. matt kenseth won under caution and afterwards at least two drivers complained about conditions at the track. that's a look at sports this morning. the talk back question today, how enthusiastic are you about voting? your responses next. syou know, i've helped a lot off people save a lot of money. but today...( sfx: loud noise of large metal object hitting the ground) things have been a little strange.

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